Getting your listing on the internet is just the first stop in the process of attracting the best tenants. Follow up with this ‘Market Your Listing Checklist’ for a system that makes the most of every lead!
Start With Your Listing
Make a spectacular first impression with photos that truly highlight the property’s best features. The right lighting, a neutral decor and basic editing help your photos to stand out among all of the listings that home searchers are browsing. Give your listing an extra nudge by enhancing both the curb appeal in photos and for drive-by searches when you pay attention to details, ie: garbage cans stowed out of sight and neatly trimmed hedges help to convey the care that has gone into the home.
A stand out rental listing is written so that potential tenants recognize the opportunity it offers. Including key details about the home’s location (remember your prospects are likely unfamiliar with the area) can be critical to motivation!
Put Your Listing Where Your Future Tenants Are
Listings on AHRN.com are readily available to our military community users at key stages in the PCS process. In addition to the normal BAH and installation search results, new and upgraded listings are sent directly to their inbox as part of the time-sensitive PCS email series.
Answering Emails/Messages Promptly
One key frustration AHRN.com hears from our users concerns the lack of a prompt response. It is imperative that property managers/land lords log in to AHRN.com to check for alerts and messages from interested potential tenants. Home searching is among the most stressful aspects of a military move and that urgency means users are anxiously awaiting your reply. It’s disheartening to love a listing and either never hear back from the property manager or be told the house has been rented and the listing simply was not taken down. Out of date listings or a slow response on one property can cause all of a property manager’s listings out of the running for a disappointed family. To avoid missing contacts, white list AHRN.com in your email to ensure that all emails get through.
Long Distance Friendly
Even the best listing won’t get your property filled on its own. How you handle the process from initial inquiry to signing the lease/contract will have a tremendous impact. For the long distance home searcher, the ability to create a smooth exchange of information is particularly invaluable! Know what information you consistently need to convey to potential tenants/home buyers and keep those documents and files easily accessible via a file sharing service like Dropbox.
Review
If two weeks hasn’t generated the leads you are looking for, it’s time to reevaluate your listing. Do the photos need to be updated? Are there better priced, comparable properties competing with it (if so, adjust yours to what the market will bear)? Would upgrading the listing be a smart investment to get it rented faster? A little analysis will keep you from continuing to do something that isn’t getting results.
Anticipate Potential Tenant Concerns
The military community, like any moving family, has concerns about commute distance and schools. But their move also comes with a special set of concerns. Frequent moves mean that working with a great military-friendly school liaison can keep a child academically on track. Information about the job market can also make a difference for working spouses. A real estate professional’s familiarity with the PCS process itself relieves another layer of stress for the military member, and forges a strong connection with each inquiry.
Wow potential tenants from their first contact with you by offering those who inquire about your homes a digital welcome packet that includes general information about the local area. A great place to start is with fun activities for kids, great local restaurants and practical information about how utilities work in your area. Your familiarity with the area offers you the opportunity to establish yourself as an incredible resource from the get-go for individuals and families that are already juggling too many balls as they move. It begins the relationship on a great foundation and leads tenants to prefer working you and your properties.
Wish you had a tool to help you remember each of these steps for your listing? We have you covered! Implement these listing management best practices with this customizable checklist. Click the button below, navigate to File, then select Make a Copy. You can use it online – accessing it from any of your devices – via Google Docs or print for a paper copy.
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